Tennis racket string tightener and gauge



Oct. 29, 1935. F. A. CLEMONS 2,019,394

TENNIS RACKET STRING TIGHTENER AND GAUGE Filed June 4, 1934 Illa/razed? 626mm INVENTOR BY awayza d.

ATTORNEYS WITNEQI:

Patented Oct. 29, 1935 UNITED SAT ATENT OFFIEA TENNIS RACKET STRING TIGHTENER AND GAUGE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a string tightener for tennis rackets and similar devices, and has for the primary object the provision of a device of the above stated character for permitting a person with rapidity and minimum effort to tighten the strings of the racket to a desired tautness and each string may be drawn to a determined tautness and is so constructed that equal strain will be placed on the opposite sides of the racket frame simultaneously during the tightening and fastening of the strings.

With these and other objects in view this invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating a string tightener constructed in accordance with my invention and showing the same applied to a tennis racket.

Figure 2 is a similar view drawn on an enlarged scale.

Figure 3 is a central longitudinal sectional view showing the construction of the tightener.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 3.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral l indicates in entirety a string tightener and is composed of a handle 2 carrying at one end a bracket 3 preferably of substantially U-shape to which are journaled rollers 4 and 5 each of a peripheral grooved type. adapted to contact with the frame 6 of a tennis racket for the purpose of tightening the strings 1 thereof.

The handle 2 is composed of a pair of sections one of which carries the head 3 and the other is bifurcated, as shown at 8, to form parallel gripping jaws 9 of a desired resiliency. The handle may be constructed of any material suitable for the purpose which will permit the jaws 9 to be flexed. The sections of the handle are spaced and connected by a sleeve Ill, one end of which is fixed to one of the sections and the other end connected to the other section for a limited sliding movement relativethereto. The last-named connection is formed by a headed pin l I carried by the respective section of the handle and extending through slots I2 in the sleeve I0. One end of the pin II is shaped to form an indicator l3 movable over a graduated scale l4 formed on the sleeve l adjacent one of the slots l2. The opposing ends of the sections of the handle within the sleeve I0 are recessed to form seats l which receive the ends of a coil spring l6 normally acting to urge the sections of the handle away from one another.

A headed bolt ll extends through the jaws 9 5 adjacent the latters connected end and the screw threaded end of the bolt is slotted and has threaded thereon nuts l8. A lever l9 has a bifurcated end shaped to form spaced parallel cams 20 ecoentrically connected to the bolt I1 by a pin 2| 10 extending through the slot of said bolt. The cams 2U ride upon a wear plate 22 carried by one of the jaws 9. The positioning of the lever I9 angularly to the handle 2 permits the jaws 9 to spread or assume a natural position so that a string 1 of the racket may be passed between the jaws and by moving the lever l9 into substantial parallelism with the handle the jaws 9 are flexed in the direction of each other and caused to tightly grip the string. Prior to adjusting the jaws to the string I, the rollers 4 and 5 are brought in contact with the frame 6 of the racket, as shown in Figure 1, the string contacting with the roller 5.

A movement of the handle 2 with the roller 4 acting as a fulcrum upon the frame 6 the string may be drawn to a desired tautness with comparative ease upon the part of the operator and as the handle is moved to tighten the string the sleeve I0 slides relative to the bracket carrying section of the handle causing the indicator I3 to move over the graduated scale I4 which permits the person to readily determine the approximate tension placed on the string so that in tightening another string of the racket, the operator may readily determine by referring to the indicator 5 and scale when the second or next string is drawn to the same tautness as the first or previous string.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. A string tightener for rackets comprising a bracket to engage a racket frame, a handle secured to said bracket and composed of yieldably connected sections, a scale applied to one of said sections, an indicator secured to the other section and movable over the scale during the movement of said sections relative to one another, one of said sections being bifurcated to form spaced resilient jaws to receive a string of a racket, a slotted bolt extending through said jaws, a nut threaded to said bolt, a lever pivotally and slidably connected to said slotted bolt and having camshaped portions to engage with the handle and cooperate with the bolt in contracting the jaws to grip the string.

2. A string tightener for rackets comprising a bracket to engage a racket frame, a handle se- Hi i cured to said bracket and composed of yieldably connected sections, a scale applied to one of said sections, an indicator secured to the other section and movable over the scale during the movement of said sections relative to one another, one of said sections being bifurcated to form spaced resilient jaws'to receive a string of a racket, a slotted bolt extending through said jaws, a nut threaded to said bolt, a lever pivotaIly and slidably connected to said slotted bolt and having camshaped portions to engage with the handle and cooperate with the bolt in contracting the jaws to grip the string, and a wear plate carried by the handle and engaged by the cam-shaped portions of the lever.

FREDERICK ALEXANDER CLEMONS. 

